Adelaide United coach Rini Coolen rates Harry Kewell a special player, but hasn’t ordered special treatment for the Melbourne Victory drawcard.
Coolen’s Reds host the Victory in an A-League grudge match on Friday night, with marquee signing Kewell a central figure.
“Harry Kewell is a special player, what he brings on the pitch is something special, a higher level than maybe everyone in the A-League,” Coolen told reporters in Adelaide on Thursday.
“But around him, they have so many quality players so you can’t focus on Harry Kewell.
“It’s the team Melbourne Victory we have to beat and it will be a tough one, but there is no easy game in the A-League.”
Coolen has recalled from injury his own star signing, Socceroo Dario Vidosic, for the Hindmarsh Stadium fixture.
Vidosic mirrored his coach in saying the clash was not just about Kewell.
“We want to treat it as if it’s 11 Harry Kewells out there tomorrow night, every single one of them brings quality to their team,” Vidosic said.
“It’s one thing beating Melbourne Victory, but it’s another thing beating them with Harry Kewell and Archie Thompson and players like this in the team.
“So tomorrow night, we’re looking for a scalp.
“This is our fortress, we’re not going to let anyone go away from here with an easy three points.”
Coolen was adamant the spicy rivalry with Melbourne Victory would shake his players from their opening loss lethargy in Perth.
“A game like this, playing a home game against Melbourne Victory, it’s a special game for everyone – I don’t have to tell the players that,” Coolen said.
“The pressure of the game like that, that is what you want as a professional football player and what you want as a coach, you have to cope with that.”
Victory coach Mehmet Durakovic will rush Costa Rican star Carlos Hernandez, who played for his country just six days ago, into his starting line-up for an encounter he predicted would be challenging.
“Adelaide are a very good team … they’re very well organised, experienced players, so it’s going to be a tough game for us,” Durakovic told reporters in Melbourne on Thursday.
“They are going to be playing at home so it’s going to be do-or-die for them and I expect them to play really really well at home … they’ve got three or four guys who can really punish you if you give them the chance.”
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